The Forgotten Prophecy
This is a collab by Skye, Eclipse and Rainpelt Prologue ~ Skye The sun blared down on the wide expanse of dust covered, dried up, mud. There hadn't been rain for weeks now, and the Clans were suffering. Worst then all the rest, were SunClan. There camp was based in the centre of the never ending "desert". They were starving, desperate, always begging other Clans to help them survive. But the others refused. And so SunClan, hopeless and weak, lugged themselves forward and continued to hunt and patrol. Other Clans, such as ForestClan who wasn't affected so badly by the heat wave, called SunClan "the living dead". "I don't know how they do it," they would say after seeing, yet again, SunClan come and beg for food and help. One day, Bloompetal of SunClan, was sent to ask GrassClan for a share of their prey. But the response was unhelpful. "We're thriving ourselves!" Flowerstar, the leader, yowled angrily, "We can't possibly spare prey for you. My Clan comes first!" Bloompetal was turned away, but fuelled by anger and starvation, she refused to give up. Instead of leaving GrassClan's territory, she scanned the edges. Soon, a pitiful scraggly mouse came limping out of a nearby clump of weeds. Bloompetal lunged for it, and soon the mouse was hooked on the end of her claws. Bloompetal looked behind her. Yes she had a Clan to feed, but some days she didn't get anything because of scarce prey. She looked at the mouse again. It smelt of GrassClan territory, surely if she brought it back they would get suspicious. So she ate it. And soon, every day she hunted in GrassClan territory for food. But she got greedy. She wasn't catching one mouse, she was catching two. She wasn't spending one minute trespassing, she was spending ten. She wasn't hunting in GrassClan she was hunting in ForestClan too! She was plumper than the rest of SunClan. And as time went on she could almost pass for a kittypet. And then she got careless. ---- Chapter I ~ Eclipse The sun shone bright in the sky, as it scorched the earth below it. The dusty dry land was turned into a shimmering, rippling sea of heat as the temperature rose higher and higher. Cats squished themselves together under a large red rock that towered out of the landscape, it's shadow cast a large shaded area for them to gather underneath out of the suns unforgiving glare. The cats were thin, bones began to show through their pelts, even the fluffiest of them had their bones showing. Some coughed from the dust that was kicked up, others had weeping eyes from it. There were croaking to each other waiting for their leader to show upon the ledge above them. Kits cried for their mothers milk, but their mothers pushed them away gently chiding them gently, and licked their foreheads trying to keep them cool. Elders were amongst the younger and healthier warriors complaining of the heat, complaining for food, they were old and frail, most of them looked as though they would join StarClan. Miragepaw was sitting between his mentor, Feathersun a dark coloured she-cat and another warrior, Dawnstrike, a golden furred tom. He was one of two apprentices in SunClan, the other was Amberpaw, a light coloured grey she-cat. Miragepaw licked his tongue around his lips trying to get some moisture into his mouth, but there was so little water in SunClan territory that he and so many others were thirsty and dried out by the heat. He shuffled about impatiently waiting for their leader, to show, so many of the other cats were getting impatient too. Sitting this close together was making everyone as hot as they would be sitting in the sun's rays. "When is Goldenstar going to show?" Miragepaw moaned. "Hush!" Feathersun scolded her apprentice, "He will be here soon, we're all annoyed in this heat but we have to keep calm and wait for him." Miragepaw snorted, he didn't understand what was taking Goldenstar so long to get here. All he was going to say was that 'the clan needed to stay calm, keep praying to StarClan and keep an eye out for food and water.' Why did he need to repeat himself, there was nothing we could do anyway, none of the other clans were willing to help us and if the rainy-season didn't show, all of SunClan would be doomed. Finally a large red furred tabby approached a ledge just above the cats heads and below the summit of the rock. His large green eyes cast a light across his Clan, but they were not the once powerful green eyes they were. They were now old and tired, even the great leader was slowly dying like the rest of his clan. His body although large, seemed frail in the light and he seemed to wobble on his legs. The brown Medicine Cat of SunClan approached his side and sat beside him, watching his leader closely making sure that he did not passout from the heat. "Cat's of SunClan, I have gathered you here to discuss the disappearance of Bloompetal," after that name was spoken whispers thundered through the Clan like lightening. Miragepaw was surprised at the reaction with each warrior and elder. They didn't seemed surprised but they were not worried about the situation either. "It was true that she was hunting in GrassClan's territory," the leader's voice croaked like so many of the rest of them. "And now they have capture her and imprisoned them in their camp." "She was only there catching prey for our Clan," called a she-cat warrior from the back of the group. "What prey, I didn't see one morsal of mouse, bird or anything else here. She was eating it for herself," growled a tom warrior. The two cats began to argue quickly before each other. "That's not true, she brought back prey for some of us!" "Oh yeah, then how come she was looking so plump all the time," "She only gave to the queens and elders," Goldenstar cleared his throat for silents, but it fell on the deaf ears of the two bickering cats, the Medicine Cat beside him yowled as loudly as he could, catching the attention of both of the cats. Miragepaw watched the two cats glare at each other angrily, ears flattened and teeth showing. Goldenstar took a few moments before he spoke, "Now is not the time to bicker. At the next gathering in a quarter moon, we shall discuss the terms with GrassClan for Bloompetal's return. There is nothing more than we could do, but pray to StarClan for the rain to come." "What can StarClan do?" called another warrior cat, "We've asked them to spare prey, send us rain. But have they? No!" Miragepaw was surprised at the Clans hostility to one another and their hostility to StarClan. He always thought StarClan was there to guide us, not save us. Why were they expecting them to do anything? The cat surrounding the grey and white tom nodded their heads in agreement with the grey tom. "StarClan won't save us, what can we do?" asked a queen who pushed her kit closer to her belly, shielding it from the heat that began wafting underneath the rock. "I cannot give my kit anymore milk, it's all dried up. If I don't get any prey soon or water, my kit is going to starve!" the queen cried. "Fair not Honeynose, we will have prey soon," Goldenstar tried to calm the queen, but his words would not lift the spirits of the Clan. If prey would not come soon, all hope would be lost. "Eagle-eye, organize patrols to look for prey, water and re-mark the territory," he called down to his black furred deputy. Eagle-eye did not look up at his leader but nodded his head in acknowledgment and continued to look into the crowd of cats beneath the red rock. "I must rest," he muttered and turned away and headed down the ledge of the rock disappearing with the Medicine Cat by his side. Eagle-eye instantly moved towards the cats and started to divide up hunting, water search and boarder patrols. Groups were small generally two or three, most of the Clan was too weak to go anywhere and most went running through the sunlight across the dusty land to caves on that were made at the bottom of a row of red rocks. Miragepaw snorted, "Why does Goldenstar get to go and have rest and we have to do all the work?" Feathersun flicked her tail over her apprentices head and growled at him. "I will not have you saying anything more bad about our leader, he is exhausted and needs his rest." "Well so do I!" retorted Miragepaw, fluffing out his tortoiseshell-brown-and-black pelt. Eagle-eye approached Feathersun and Miragepaw looking down at Miragepaw's steaming eyes. "You two shall do the boarder patrol along the GrassClan territory up towards the end of the dead prairie and then do a water check below the Red Stone-Hills back towards camp." Feathersun nodded in acknowledgment, "Very well Eagle-eye," he turned and ran up the other side of the red rock ledge where Goldenstar had been talking and disappeared. A total of eight cats including Feathersun and Miragepaw began to get up and leave the meeting area, while the rest had vanished into the caves away from the sun. Miragepaw followed his mentor out into the blaring sun, it burned his eyes as they got around the Red-Stone and out into the desert land that had once been a luscious prairie. Now a dead, bleak, brown dirt land, where nothing survived. "Oh fox-dung, we have to do all of GrassClan's border and do a water search at the end of it!" moaned Miragepaw grumpily. "Enough with the complaining Miragepaw! The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get out of the sun." Miragepaw followed his mentor grudgingly, scrapping his paws against the barren ground with each step, kicking up the dirt and what was left of weeds, now shriveled and brown, as they crossed out and headed towards the greener lands of GrassClan. Chapter II ~ Rainpelt The SunClan warriors padded to the border. All eight were weak, tired and angry about Bloompetal's secret patrols. "Do we have to do this?" Miragepaw complained. "I don't want to do patroling!" "Yes you do! And if you don't want to do this you can go hungry!" Miragepaw stopped talking. Every cat in the Clan took that threat seriously, even if there was no food. Jaynose, one of the senior warriors, jerked her head up suddenly. She got all the cats to be quiet and then started stalking forwards. Everyone stood silently. No cat moved a muscle. The rest of the patrol wanted something to eat. There was a squeal. No not just one, but a lot of squeals. Feathersun, crouched and ushered the cats to move silently. They turned around the corner, where Jaynose was. She had her paw in a crack in the rocks. Mice were pouring out of it. All eight cats went on a spree of killing. There were at least 20 mice there, all having one goal. To get away from these cats. Eventually all the mice were killed. Jaynose looked up trumpiantly. "Thank you StarClan for this food. Thank you that our hunger has been replenished." Miragepaw had a sniff around. Her ears perked up. Something was wrong. As she went to warn the cats of her patrol, the GrassClan cats came into view. Chapter III ~ Skye A yowl pierced the air. GrassClan cats glared at them, backs arched, fur bristling, hissing at them angrily. "What is the meaning of this?" Yowled Flowerstar, her eyes wide and alert, Feathersun stepped forward confidently, "I know it looks bad, but we can explain." she mewed clearly. An elderly GrassClan cat stepped forward, "Explain? Explain what! Is that, or is it not, a pile of mouse bones beneath you?" Miragepaw glanced over his shoulder to see Jaynose hastily trying to hide the bones. He couldn't understand why Jaynose was trying, GrassClan had already seen. Feathersun's voice wavered, "Uh, it... well—" "They are clearly guilty!" the GrassClan elder cried triumphantly. "Guilty?" Jaynose had stepped forward, "Guilty?" she roared. "Enough!" Feathersun growled. She turned to look back at the GrassClan cats. "Takes us to your camp and we will explain." *** Miragepaw looked around wondrously at the GrasssClan camp. Strange cats stared at them, making everyone feel unconfutable. Even Feathersun's usually confident stride lacked in dignity. When he was sure no one was looking, Miragepaw bent over to whisper into Feathersun's ear. "Why did you ask to go into this camp?" Feathersun sighed, "Quit pestering me Miragepaw!" she mewed aggressively. "But you must have had a reason!" he hissed. "As your mentor Miragepaw, I order you to stop." "But—" "Enough!" Miragepaw sighed. But he soon regained his sense as he got ushered into Flowerstar's den. 'Chapter IV' ~ Eclipse Flowerstar led Jaynose, Feathersun and Miragepaw into her den while the rest of the hunting group stayed outside with warriors of GrassClan surrounding them. Two GrassClan cats entered behind the trio and sat behind them, both black cats with dark green eyes. The only distinction between the two was one had a white scar like fur over the top of his nose and the other had a white paw. Other than that they both looked identical. Flowerstar sat before the trio of SunClan warriors with her back to them, flicking her tail in frustration and ears tilted back towards them. "Well, care to tell me why we caught you taking mice from GrassClan's territory?" she growled. Jaynose was the first to speak allowed, "That crevasse was on our side of the territory and was rightfully ours!" "That crevasse comes from GrassClan's territory." "But the mice came onto SunClan's territory and therefore it makes them our mice!" retorted Jaynose. "You stole our prey!" Flowerstar snapped, "and now you shall be punished for you ignorance!" Feathersun turned towards the SunClan warriors eyes ablaze with anger and approached them, hackles nearly at the raise. "Wait!" Feathersun meow stopped the GrassClan leader in her paw steps and she glanced at her. Miragepaw edge closer to her side and she scented his fear beginning to drip from the end of his whiskers. "You can't punish us," Feathersun began. "Why in StarClan not, she-cat!" Flowerstar sneered at Feathersun. "We were hungry, our Clan is dying. You can't just sit here in the land by a fully flowing river and let us out on the prairie die!" "Why not?" Flowerstar's tone had not changed, "You thieved from us and now you will pay." "We had the right to those mice, they came onto our land and we killed them there making them rightfully ours. You have already taken one of our warriors as a prisoner, isn't that enough?" "Is that what you are going to do, try and bargain our way out?" whispered Miragepaw. "Hush you!" she spat into his ear. "You seem contempt in trying to chat you way out here like a chittering squirrel young warrior. But words cannot help you." Feathersun stared straight into Flowerstar's burning orange eyes. Chapter V ~ Skye Feathersun's tail flicked in annoyance. Miragepaw had never seen her so angry before. "Will you please explain why you think you can punish us like that? The mice came from your territory but they were killed in ours. How does that make it your prey?" Feathersun growled through gritted teeth. Flowerstar's ears flicked in irritation. She stood up, "Follow me." she mewed. "Why should we?" Jaynose spat. "Because I know you will want to see this." Reluctantly, Miragepaw followed Jaynose and Feathersun down a slope at the back of Flowerstar's den. The sound of rushing water filled the ears, but the didn't come to a stream. "Pieces of worthless fox-dung!" Feathersun hissed, "They think they can punish us when they live beside a lake!" Flowerstar continued to trot forward until they came to a bracken tunnel. It sloped downwards and Miragepaw could smell stale urine and rotting food. He wrinkled his nose, turning to Feathersun, "What is this?" Feathersun shook her head unable to speak. Jaynose however, protested defiantly, "You can't expect us to sleep in that place do you?" she spat angrily. Flowerstar shook her head, "No, but one of the residents want's to see you." "Who?" Miragepaw queried, but he was pushed forward by Feathersun who was seemingly eager to go under. Flowerstar followed them. The tunnel confined them so they had to trail in a straight line. Miragepaw sniffed in disgust. But through the stench he could smell cat. And a really stale scent was familiar. All of a sudden, they came to a clearing. There was an aged old cat sat in the middle, picking scraps of meat of a rabbit bone. His pelt was covered in battle scars, and his ears were torn. He looked up and nodded to Flowerstar. She smiled at him, "We'd like to see number two please Guard." Miragepaw cocked his head, "Did she just call that cat Guard?" Feathersun silenced him with a menacing look. Guard nodded and flicked his scraggly tail towards one of the tunnels, "End." his mew was rough and aged, "We had to move her. Got a feisty personality has Two." Flowerstar dipped her head, gesturing the others to follow her down the tunnel. Miragepaw followed the others to the end. They saw her, hunched in the corner. She wasn't as plump or well groomed now. Her fur was patched and her claws bent. She turned around, her once blazing green eyes now a dull turquoise. "They caught me and put me in here. I never believed I would want to see the sun so much." She croaked. Jaynose gasped, "Bloompetal!" ---- WIP (Work In Progress) come back soon to see if it has been edited. Category:Skye's stories Category:Collabs